Radical Evolution, written by Joel Garreau, is about specific, possible results and effects for the human being, which can be led by rapidly developing technologies. The book ‘Radical evolution’ shows several scenarios of the results which advanced technologies may lead human life in the future. The three biggest possible scenarios, for the human life, is Heaven, Hell and Prevail scenario. Each scenario, which the author predicts in variable ways, has proof, evidence, statistics and reports to support their opinion.
Heaven scenario expresses human being can stay above technology no matter how much it becomes developed. Also, Heaven scenario claims that human life and the society can be fortified by the help and convenience from highly developed technologies. Ray Kurzweil is representing Heaven scenario and claims “In order to live in more convenient and high-quality life, development of technologies is necessary.”
On the other hand, Hell scenario describes the end of the world. Hell scenario proposes that human being will not be able to control their robots, machines and other highly developed, advanced technologies. In this scenario, Bill Joy is the one who strongly supports the idea. He believes more disasters will threaten human being as more science technologies improve. Moreover, Hell scenario shows the destruction of everything starting from human life to the environment of the Earth.
Lastly, Prevail scenario supports balance and harmony with humans and science. Prevail scenario predicts that the world will be enhanced through complementary relationship between human being and robots. The scenario claims that the world will develop when humans and intelligence science cooperate. Jaron Zepel Lanier is the person who supports Prevail scenario. He suggests, “In order to fallow and take control of rapidly developing technologies, communication and linkage with people is needed.”, that he believes if there is a risk, it’s best not to develop such technology.
The most attracting and strongest scenario which persuaded me is Hell scenario. Hell scenario was the most convincing idea, not only because it approached my consciousness with familiarity but also caught my compathy when I concerned the social status quo.
The story caught my attention by showing similar and well-known written scenes. Machine invasion, robot attacks are very familiar situations which we can see through science fiction movies. Most of the animations and story for kids are also science fiction. The possible ‘fiction’ about robots and machine invasions are taking a part of our brain from a very young age. The most popular movie in Hollywood, Transformer, is also about alien-robots fighting with humans and human-friendly robots to take control of the Earth. Like such, the consciousness and interest about science fiction led me to feel familiarity during reading Chapter 5, which made Hell scenario the most interesting.
Furthermore, the story formed compathy with readers by leading them to compare the story with the real society. Nowadays, as technologies develop, human being feels as if they are in control of the current technologies. Most, if not all, of the people has misconception toward their situation. As we all know, we all use technologies; SNS such as Kakao Talk, Facebook, Nate-on, machines like computers, automatic cleaning machines etc. Also, by surfing and using Internet, we feel more comfortable when we obtain new information. However, this situation and conception of people itself, who is feeling comfortable using technologies, shows that we are already being ruled by technologies. We ‘think’ we are ‘using’ those technologies but the reality is different; technologies made us to use them. Here is a simple example. Most Cheong-shim students use Facebook to contact each other and obtain information from others. Also, we use smart phones to solve our daily life-difficulties in easier way, such as phone banking, SNS, phone call, message or plenty activities using phone applications. Then here is a question, what if all of these materials are gone in sudden moment? We will definitely fall into chaos. If there are no phones, how can we contact someone? If there is no Internet, how can we solve our curiosity? It seems as if we have options to choose and we choose to use such technology, like Internet, autonomically, but in fact, we do not have options to choose. For us, right now, nothing can replace our smart phones, iPad, Internet, fridges, computers and so on. The current situation made human to rely on technologies. We are already ruled by science.
Technologies have two different faces. One smiling face provides us convenience and comfortableness but at the same time, the scary face approaches us to invade our world. More and more we feel ease, more the face approaches. We always have to find some special thing that only humans can do in order not to be replaced by machines. If we do not find our own specialties, even though now we can use science for our own wealth, in the short future, machines and robots maybe valued superior than humans. Furthermore, during war period, machines and science technologies are often valued more precious than humans. Einstein’s nuclear energy was used to kill Japanese army, also missiles, guns, bomb, which all human invented, now threaten human being’s safety. It is very relieving that humans are smarter than machines, but when robots become really smarter, no one can guarantee our safety. Radical Evolution criticizes and warns all human beings to aware what we are doing and using right now, in order not to make mistake, such as Einstein’s nuclear bomb, once again.
However, one mistake that the author made while writing the scenario is ‘intelligence’. Joel Garreau underestimated human beings. Current scientists and analysts claims that human being living on Earth is the most evolved and smart creature in entire universe. Even though it is just hypothesis, since we do not know if we are alone in the universe, the assumption is highly theoretical and convincing because we could not find other creatures, yet. Humans are still evolving and no one knows the limits of human brain and their ability. Scientists proved that humans only use 10~20% of our brain during the entire life. Until humans evolves to use entire brain during life spam, human will be the smartest creature in the universe, which means human will likely to take control of most of the things. The reason why I used the word ‘most’ is because even if human being is superior, in point of our view on intelligence, we are just part of nature. Humans can take control of everything that they invented, but nature. As long as machines and robots are the inventions of human and as long as they cannot earn intelligence by themselves, human will take control. The Hell scenario, which the author claimed, will not become reality in the future that we know. It will take more than billions and trillions of years to make Hell scenario comes true. Hell scenario is just a scenario, assumption, which has low possibility to become reality.
Aware of the risk does not bring negative influence. It is good to make plan B in case when plan A fails. No one knows about the future, no one can predict, choose or change the faith. Also, as because we are a tiny part of the entire universe, which is so large that humans still cannot measure its length, a lot of variables exists. Variables, which humans cannot predict and regulate, may bring us dangers, and robot attacks or the results of high reliance of technologies that the book suggested may happen in our children’s age. Starting from our caution, we must harmoniously develop environment and science, which we should value equally. Furthermore, humans should always be ready when they are using advanced technology. Technology should not be developed faster than humans’ consciousness.
<Sources>
http://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2007110201032730065002
http://hiraice2011s.blogspot.kr/2011/10/radical-evolution-chapter-5-hell.html
http://anakupto.blogspot.kr/2011/04/forbidden-gates-how-grin-technologies.html
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